Anna Karenina eBook

and ran to the big glass doors. The doctor was
not even now getting up, and the footman, busy now
in putting down the rugs, refused to wake him.
Levin deliberately took out a ten rouble note, and,
careful to speak slowly, though losing no time over
the business, he handed him the note, and explained
that Pyotr Dmitrievitch (what a great and important
personage he seemed to Levin now, this Pyotr Dmitrievitch,
who had been of so little consequence in his eyes
before!) had promised to come at any time; that he
would certainly not be angry! and that he must therefore
wake him at once.

The footman agreed, and went upstairs, taking Levin
into the waiting room.

Levin could hear through the door the doctor coughing,
moving about, washing, and saying something.
Three minutes passed; it seemed to Levin that more
than an hour had gone by. He could not wait
any longer.

“Pyotr Dmitrievitch, Pyotr Dmitrievitch!”
he said in an imploring voice at the open door.
“For God’s sake, forgive me! See
me as you are. It’s been going on more
than two hours already.”

“In a minute; in a minute!” answered a
voice, and to his amazement Levin heard that the doctor
was smiling as he spoke.

“For one instant.”

“In a minute.”

Two minutes more passed while the doctor was putting
on his boots, and two minutes more while the doctor
put on his coat and combed his hair.

“Pyotr Dmitrievitch!” Levin was beginning
again in a plaintive voice, just as the doctor came
in dressed and ready. “These people have
no conscience,” thought Levin. “Combing
his hair, while we’re dying!”

“Good morning!” the doctor said to him,
shaking hands, and, as it were, teasing him with his
composure. “There’s no hurry.
Well now?”

Trying to be as accurate as possible, Levin began
to tell him every unnecessary detail of his wife’s
condition, interrupting his account repeatedly with
entreaties that the doctor would come with him at
once.

“Oh, you needn’t be in any hurry.
You don’t understand, you know. I’m
certain I’m not wanted, still I’ve promised,
and if you like, I’ll come. But there’s
no hurry. Please sit down; won’t you have
some coffee?”

Levin stared at him with eyes that asked whether he
was laughing at him; but the doctor had no notion
of making fun of him.

“I know, I know,” the doctor said, smiling;
“I’m a married man myself; and at these
moments we husbands are very much to be pitied.
I’ve a patient whose husband always takes refuge
in the stables on such occasions.”

“But what do you think, Pyotr Dmitrievitch?
Do you suppose it may go all right?”

“Everything points to a favorable issue.”

“So you’ll come immediately?” said
Levin, looking wrathfully at the servant who was bringing
in the coffee.